Azam Khan Says Muslims Are Victims Of 'Saffron India'

ANI

Hindustan Times via Getty Images

LUCKNOW, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Samajwadi Party Minister Azam Khan comes for Vidhan Sabha session on September 18, 2013 in Lucknow, India. Warrant has been issued against politicians from various parties for instigating the riots that tore through Muzaffarnagar earlier this month, leaving nearly 50 people dead and forcing 40,000 people into refugee camps. Defending the MLAs from her party BJP leader Uma Bharti demanded full enquiry before politicians from her party are arrested. (Photo by Dheeraj Dhawan/Hindustan Times via Getty Images )

NEW DELHI -- In an apparent attack on the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare and Urban Development Minister Azam Khan on Friday alleged that Muslims 'are not the citizens of democratic India but the victims of saffron India'.

Khan's comment came in the wake of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's statement that 'Muslims need to give up beef to live in India', which has garnered criticism from the political fraternity.

"Clearly this is not a nation that is governed by the Constitution. These comments are always created for targeting the Muslims," Khan told here.

Reacting to Khattar's 'clarification', he said that it did not hold any value as it was exactly what the 'fascists' did.

"The RSS declared openly that they did not believe in the Constitution after which their lips were sealed. Then they passed comment on Bapu and called Nathuram Godse their hero and went silent again. The Muslims have never demanded cow slaughter, in fact we have said that there should be no slaughter at all even chicken and goats," Khan said.

When asked about his opinion of the agenda behind the beef row in its totality, Khan said that it was aimed at targeting the Muslims.

"Muslims are being killed and will continue to be killed. Where are we supposed to go, there is no choice. Muslims are leading a very dismal and scared life. Even the UN can't do anything," Khan said.

Talking about the furore over his decision to take the Dadri lynching case to the United Nations, he stated that he should be charged for being a traitor but so should Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Prime Minister Modi has gone countless time to the UN and raised Indian issues. Satyarthi won the Nobel Prize for raising issues. So, they should hang every Indian who has ever gone to the UN, but they won't, because I am a victim." Khan said.

Khan had earlier attacked the Prime Minister's 'late' reaction on the Dadri lynching case and said that ever since he had come to power, minorities have been persecuted in the country.